PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The West Java Provincial Government (Pemprov) plans to take over the management rights of land owned by PTPN and Perhutani in West Java, especially those in the Gunung Wayang area in Bandung Regency.

West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi stated that the takeover of management rights was carried out to then be planted with plants typical of the area.

"I'm targeting a thousand hectares of land to be completed. I'll pay the farmers who plant it Rp2.5 million per month. One person gets 2 hectares. 500 people are needed," said KDM, Dedi Mulyadi's nickname, at Situ Cisanti, Bandung Regency, Saturday (26/9/2026).

KDM emphasized that this step was taken as a strategy to address the poverty experienced by many residents in vegetable growing areas, starting in South Cianjur, South Garut, and then South Bandung.

According to him, poverty occurs in these areas because labor wages are very cheap, namely IDR 30,000, IDR 25,000 and sometimes even IDR 20,000.

"And what's the point of this strategy of allowing the poor to remain poor? To ensure their compliance. I'm a leader who doesn't want compliance to be driven by poverty; I want compliance to be driven by prosperity," KDM asserted.

KDM plans to begin planting in December of this year, with 4,000 tree-planting farmers prepared. The tree-planting farmers will receive a monthly salary of Rp 2.5 million, resulting in the West Java Provincial Government allocating approximately Rp 10 billion per month, or Rp 120 billion per year.

According to KDM, these funds are nothing compared to the Citarum floods caused by the damage to land around the river.

The Citarum River, which has sedimentation, must be dredged, costing over Rp 1 trillion annually. This is in addition to costs for flooding and environmental and infrastructure repairs.

Furthermore, according to KDM, the Citarum River will generate significant state revenue. The power plants in Cirata, Saguling, and Jatiluhur are expected to generate trillions of rupiah.

"After that, industrial areas were born in Purwakarta, Kerawang, and Bekasi, with tens of trillions of rupiah circulating every month. If the Citarum River dries up, the Cisanti River dries up, or the Wayang Mountains dry up, then the industry there will die," he explained.

KDM said that the West Java Provincial Government's expenditure is not only for projects, but is also necessary for the welfare of the people, such as paying farmers to plant trees and care for forests.